Adolescent Obesity May Cause Hormone Abnormality

AUGUST 01, 2006

Susan Farley

A recent report from the Journal ofClinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
asserts that girls who are obese at the
time of puberty are at increased risk for
higher-than-normal levels of a steroid
hormone. Hyperandrogenemia is the
result of high levels of testosterone or
androsterone, both of which control
masculine characteristics. The condition
also is associated with polycystic ovary
syndrome, which includes infertility, obesity,
abnormal menstruation, and hirsutism.
Researchers evaluated weight,
hormone levels, and stage of puberty for
76 girls aged 7 to 17 years, 41 of whom
were obese. Among the obese girls, the
testosterone levels were 2.1 times higher,
and the sex hormone-binding globulin
was 50% lower than in normal-weight
girls. The rates remained similar even
after girls with irregular periods and hirsutism
were excluded from the study.